Just 57 pounds, this 9-year-old boy swam to Alcatraz and back

Published Jun. 15, 2016 11:02 p.m. ET

foxsports

James Savage was straining to do something that few men can do — much less a 9-year-old boy who stands just 4-foot-6 and weighs 57 pounds.

Savage was attempting to swim from San Francisco to Alcatraz and back, braving strong currents and cold water that made the swim famously fatal for escaping prisoners.

With waves smacking him in the face, Savage said afterward that he was tempted to quit in the middle of his attempt.

"I was about to quit, but then I kept on going," Savage told ABC News.

He had some extra motivation: His father told The Associated Press that he offered his son $100 to do it, then doubled the reward.

KSEE-TV in Fresno reported Tuesday that Savage set a record as the youngest swimmer to make the mile-long journey to the former prison and back. The fourth-grader from Los Banos, Calif., completed it in two hours and broke a record previously held by a 10-year-old boy.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.